Improvement in car-couplings



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM HENRY WARD, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK.y

` IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of LettersfPatent No. 158.227, dated December 29, 1874; application flcd April 6, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. WARD, of Auburn, in the county of Cayuga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Couplings for Railway-Cars, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to that class of carcouplings which are automatic in their coupling action, and which uncouple by the lateral displacement of one or more of the cars; and the special feature which is claimed under this patent consists in the combination of a socketed-head lever with spring pivoted drafthooks, whereby the movement of the socketedhead lever toward the pivoted draft-hooks will embrace, and by the inclined sides of the sockethead close, the said draft couplinghooks, to release them from their lockingsocket when the cars are being separated 5 also, in the combination, with the pivoted draft-hooks, of a U-shaped spring, which embracing said draft-hooks, bears alike upon retainers upon their outer sides, to spread the hook ends apart to the extent of a stop-guide, through which they pass to maintain them always in coupling and draft positions; also, in the combination, with the socketed-head lever, of one or more levers carrying adjustable cross-rods, arranged in such relation to the platforms of the cars as to come in contact with stop-plates on the end of the coupled car, for the purpose of operating the socket-head lever to close it upon the hooked ends of the draft-hooks, and thereby uncouple the cars in the event of one or more being thrown off the track at an angle greater than that to which the adjustable cross-rods are set.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a vertical section of the two end platforms of the cars coupled together with my improved coupling devices, and Fig. 2 a bottom view of the same.

To the under sides of the platforms A B of the cars I secure to each a metallic plate, G and D, the latter of which has a socket, E, within which the pivoted ends a of coupling draft-hooks F are secured by a stron g draft-pin, I), and within which socket a U -shaped spring, G, is placed, so that its arms extend over and are iitted into locking-hooks c, in order that the tension of said spring shall be constantly exerted to keep the draft-hooks in coupling and draft positions, the said spring being held in place by the arched form of the socket E and the workjoint of the draft-hooks. A plate, H, depends from the under side of the platform, having a vertical opening,| c, in it, through which the draft-hooks pass to limit the extent of their opening movement. rlhe plate C of the other car, A, has an open end, l, within which are formed shoulders d, with which the hooksf of the draft-hooks catch in coupling the cars, and within the opening g of the openend I the hooks F open and close. In rear of the open end I a socketed-lever head, J, is arranged upon a pivot, It, of the plate C, with the socket immediately in front of the hooked ends fof the draft-hooks, so as to be forced over said hooked ends, which are nearly wedge-shaped, to be acted upon by the V- shaped socket of the head J, to close said draft-hooks when the cars are to be separated. This action of the draft-hooks is rendered automatic by means of a lever or levers, K L, one of which, K, forms an extension of the socket-head J to one side of the car, while the second lever, L, is arranged to extend out toward the other side of the car, and having its inner end j bearing upon the rear side of the said socket-head, to allow the latter to be forced in from either side of the car by either lever when it is desired to close the drafthooks to release them from the shouldered socket, and leave them free to be drawn out and disconnected. These levers K and L are also utilized to effect the automatic separation of the cars in case one or more should be `thrown off the track at an angle thereto by means of adjustable cross-arms M passing through the arms of the said levers, and projecting therefrom toward the end of `the other car, in positions to act against stop-plates k depending from the platform, when the caris so displaced as to bring the acting end Z of the cross-rod M in contact with said stopplate, which will force back the lever K or L and force in the socket-head J, and thus close the draft-hooks, and free them at once from their locking hold. These cross-rods M are made adjustable by means of lock-nuts m n on opposite sides of the levers, and they at no time act, except when the contingency stated arises.

The ends of the levers K and L may extend up by the outer edges of the platform, in convenient positions to enable the train man to disconnect the coaches at pleasure. This can also be done by a hand-lever passed through an opening,` in the platform, as shown at p in Fig. l, to act upon either of the pivoted levers.

I am aware that it is not new to combine in a car-coupling hooks separated from each other by a spring, and catching over shoulders formed in the draw-head, with a sliding ring or collar to Withdraw said hooks from their holding-shoulders by forcing them together to uneouple, and such invention I do not claim, broadly.`

I claim- 1. The combination of the draft-hooks F With the socket-plate l) E, the embracingspring G, locked to said hooks, and the openshouldered plate g I, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

2. rllhe combination of thesocket-head lever J i With the Wedge-shaped draft-hooks F f, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, With the socket leverhead J i, of the levers K L and the adjustable cross-rods M, as and for the purpose described.

W. H. WARD. Witnesses:

EDM. F. BROWN, ALEXR. A. C. KLAUCKE. 

